10 powerful ways to de-stress and lose weight
One thing that comes up repeatedly when studying weight loss is the fact that while we live in a modern world, we don’t live in modern bodies. Our bodies have changed little in the last 30,000 years, and many of the ways our hormones respond to things like hunger and stress are tailored to a much, much less sedentary lifestyle than the one we live today. Because of the way our lifestyles have outpaced our bodies’ ability to evolve, many of the “right” signals sent by our brains have the “wrong” result: instead of helping our disease survive, they can increase our risk of death by promoting weight gain.
The hormone cortisol is an example of this phenomenon. Studies increasingly show that this hormone, which is released when under stress, contributes to weight gain and obesity today in a way that it would not have in prehistoric times.
When you’re under stress, your brain calls on cortisol to provide you with “emergency” energy by tapping into the body’s fat stores, moving them to the abdomen, and providing the body with protein for energy production. This occurs through the process of converting amino acids to glucose in the liver called gluconeogenesis. It also matures fat cells and makes your brain crave more “high-energy” foods like sugars and fats, something that can cause your tendency to reach for “comfort foods” when upset.
Why does your brain send these signals? During prehistoric times, being under stress used to require much more physical activity and therefore required much more energy than it does today. Those early stressors would have been largely due to events like running away from a predator, having little food and having to hunt and drill for long hours, or having one’s shelter destroyed and having to build a new one, not having to pay cellphone. invoice or being late for an appointment due to rush hour traffic. Therefore, the body is trained to release its energy reserves and crave more of what it produces energy when under stress, as it assumes that a physical threat needs to be addressed.
This can be a real hurdle for those of you looking to lose weight, due to the fact that it’s so hard to fight your baser instincts. Also, due to our current lifestyle, there is also no way to prevent stress from entering our lives. However, all is not lost. If we learn to regulate and limit our body’s production of cortisol, we can reduce our risk of disease and lose weight. Before you begin to reduce stress in your life, make sure a healthy diet is at the top of your list.
Try these 10 helpful tips to reduce stress (cortisol levels) and lose weight:
1. eliminate caffeine (or at least greatly reduce it).
Drinking caffeine causes an increase in cortisol levels, probably due to the fact that it increases adrenaline levels and heart rate, just like stress.
two. Eliminate processed foods.
Ah, there are so many reasons to do this, right? In addition to all the other problems processed foods can cause, they also raise cortisol levels. Sugars and simple carbohydrates are the worst offenders. Eat a healthy diet enriched with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
3. Drink plenty of water.
Dehydration can cause cortisol levels to rise, which can become a dangerous cycle, as stressed people are also more prone to dehydration.
Four. Exercise.
This is just logical, right? If your body is giving you energy because it expects you to need to be active, burn off that energy by being active. Try a relaxing exercise, like yoga, and get a double benefit of lowering your heart rate as well. Another great way to reduce stress is to walk. It’s also a fun way to lose weight.
5. Listen to some music.
Music has been shown to lower cortisol levels in patients about to undergo surgery and also raise serotonin levels in the brain. Select your favorite music and relax.
6. Laughter.
Laughter greatly curbs your body’s production of cortisol. If you feel stressed, relax with a good comedy or joke around with your friends. It will take the weight of the world off your shoulders and belly.
7. To meditate.
This ancient stress reducer activates the vagus nerve, which causes your body to reduce cortisol levels. Try meditating for 30 minutes a day, at least three times a week, and see if you don’t feel a difference in your ability to handle stress.
8. Get your 8 hours.
Sleep deprivation has been shown to cause weight gain, and once again, cortisol comes into play. Not getting enough sleep causes the body to produce more cortisol, and it’s another type of “vicious circle” situation, because stress keeps us awake at night. Exercise, chamomile tea, and natural sleep aids can go a long way in helping you rest.
9. Spend quality time with your pets.
There’s a reason animals are used as a form of therapy: Your furry friends can boost your endorphins and lower your cortisol levels in no time.
10 Be creative.
Whether your passion is art, music, writing, or something else, creative expression releases endorphins while activating the parasympathetic nervous system and lowering your heart rate. This, in turn, lowers cortisol levels, while adding beauty to your life and boosting your confidence.